


Blood and Sweat

by BiancaBibi



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Bev and Eds are vampires!, Bill is too but fuck him, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Eddie just wants some love, F/M, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, M/M, Mike is a goddamn angel, Ohhhh Boy, Please Don't Hate Me, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Someone dies, Stan and Richie are werewolves!, This took me five months to write, Werewolves and Vampires AU, angst with a little bit of fluff, happy ending (kinda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 23:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19345324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiancaBibi/pseuds/BiancaBibi
Summary: The small man’s gaze turned to Mike, who was having small talk with Beverly. Even after all the secrets they kept from him came to the light, the farmer was still sticking by their side, helping them win a fight which wasn’t his.Eddie sighed, squeezing Richie’s hand before letting go and joining his friends’ chatter.Richie followed him with his eyes, smiling softly, and turned to look out the window. In the darkness of the night, he spotted a car’s headlights slowly approaching, the engine becoming louder.He turned to his friends.“They’re here”





	Blood and Sweat

**Author's Note:**

> Okay guys this took forever but here you go, hope you enjoy!!!!!  
> Yes I wrote this instead of continuing it takes two toziers, bare with me

To Eddie Kaspbrak, love was something forbidden, much like any other thing in the shallow life he lived. It was something to never be spoken of, a cursed subject that’s best not to approach. Some could say Eddie Kaspbrak was afraid of love, terrified even, as he never talked about it, never seemed to have experienced the deep feeling that come with caring so much for someone. Truth is, Eddie Kaspbrak didn’t know what love was. He didn’t know all the lies his mother fed him about it were just that; lies. He thought he had all the love he needed in his so-called home, where in truth that’s the last place he’d find it in.

And, as it is, love comes in the weirdest forms and shapes. To Eddie Kaspbrak, it came as a pleasant surprise. As nights spent dancing to the beat of imaginary melodies. He found it in two bodies touching, skin to skin, blood and sweat. He found it in sneaking out, in running away. Eddie Kaspbrak found love in a man.

“Go home kid. I ain’t up for dancing tonight” The man said as he moved around the little room, apparently cleaning up.

Eddie looked behind him at the red curtains hat separated the room from the rest of the pub, then turned his attention to the lanky man before him.

“I, um…” It wasn’t like he could go home now. It was still too early (or late) for his mother to actually be asleep, and he’d be in trouble if she caught him going back home. He wouldn’t go back to the pub without his friends either. The people either snarled or glared at him, or looked him up and down as if considering something.

Eddie supposed it was normal. He was a small person, who didn’t look the least intimidating. As for the bedroom looks, Bev always commented how good looking he was, and how he had great thighs. And, well, he _had_ come to the pub to get laid, after all.

Having a life like Eddie’s was complicated. Since he was very little, his mother had rejected his own nature, just as hers. She would say again and again how it would get him killed, just like his father. ‘And who would I have if you left, my dear Eddiebear? Who would take care of dear ma?’

Eddie hated how he always guilted him into staying with her. He knew that she was toxic, that she was sick. And yet something forced him into staying by her side. Maybe it was just the fact that he loved her, and she loved him back.

_(Only I love you Eddie bear only me no one else no one else will ever love you like I do no one-)_

Maybe it was the fact that he really wouldn’t be safe in the world without her. His true colors would show, would he want it or not. And, if his own mother didn’t accept his own nature, who’s to say the outside world would greet him with open arms?

Eddie knew for a fact it wouldn’t. Once he had known a beautiful boy whose auburn hair for surely would’ve shone in the sun, if any of them had been able to be out at the same time as the burning sphere that hung from the sky without being burned into inexistence. The boy, of his same kind, whose name was Bill, dreamed. He dreamed of people, normal people, liking him. He dreamed of beach days, and road trips, and real schools. He dreamed of meeting the love of his life somewhere in this normal world the two of them were never able to be a part of.

Bill dreamed too much, according to Eddie’s mother.

One day, Bill decided to go explore the world. “I need to see what’s out there, Eddie” He said as he went around his room, packing. The moon tinted their faces a pallid blue, almost white, from where it’s light was coming through the window. Eddie followed Bill’s moves, a permanent frown painted in his face, from where he stood upside down, feet attached to the attic’s ceiling. “But Bill” he insisted, “you could get hurt badly! Just the daylight could turn you into tiny ashes!”

“Relax, Eddie, I’ll be fine. If you want, I’ll come visit every week” Eddie’s frown only deepened, and Bill sighed, closing his backpack. “Look, just- take care of Georgie for me, okay?” He said. With that, he opened the window, waved Eddie goodbye, and jumped. Eddie watched as, in one quick motion, Bill’s body wrapped around itself, disappearing into the night. If anyone had looked up at that moment, they would’ve thought themselves crazy, watching a backpack flying around in the middle of the night, but Eddie knew better than that. Grasping the bag handle, invisible to a human’s eye in the night sky, a little, mouse like animal flew across the air, with an unknown destiny in mind.

Eddie sighed sadly, jumping to the floor. A knock sounded shortly before the attic door opened and little Georgie pocked his head in. “Hey, Bill I- where’s Bill?” He asked, opening the door wide enough to fit his little body in, grasping what seemed to be a paper boat in his right hand. Eddie kneeled by him, regarding him with a sad expression.

“Bill’s left for a little while, buddy. Said he’d be back sometime soon”

“Promise?” The kid asked, pouting slightly.

“Promise” Eddie repeated, his voice breaking a little in the end, and he embraced George in a bone crushing hug, a silent apology for the awareness that his promise would be broken.

Neither boy ever saw Bill again.

But that was a long time ago, and eventually both boys moved on. Eddie still pleaded for Bill to be alive, still believed in the possibility that Bill had, in fact, survived. Maybe he had found the love of his life, after all. Maybe they were the same as Bill and Eddie, too. But one could only hope. And at the end of the day, Eddie knew the chances were slim.

So, he chose not to think about it, instead busying his mind with other things. He had eventually met a nice girl, who went by the name of Beverly, who he’d quickly gotten along with. Bev was all fight and fire, a wild girl of big heart, who shared Eddie’s nature. She was lucky enough to have met a boy, brave and strong, with sandy blond hair and a dreamer soul that reminded Eddie a bit of Bill. Ben, as was his name, however, was a human. So, even if he was accepting and protective about Eddie’s kind, he still couldn’t be with Bev for long without getting one of them hurt, as most humans were wary of people like Bev and Eddie.

Lucky for them, Ben worked in a night club, so they could easily meet in there without bringing any attention to themselves.

They had been meeting in the same pub for almost a year now, and Bev had convinced Eddie to have fun for the night.

“Go see Richie, he’s in that room over there” She had said, pointing to a room on the far left of the apartment. “He’s cute. And he’ll treat you well” She added, winking, before she disappeared into the dance floor, dragging Ben with her.

Eddie had followed Beverly’s advice, and now he awkwardly stood in the cherry red room, watching as Richie moved around, his dark messy locks bouncing about on his head with every step he took, following the beat of some imaginary song.

He shuffled a bit, and Richie must have heard him, because he turned to look at him with a shit-eating grin, and asked “Still here?”

Eddie noticed how Richie’s expression showed some amusement as he stared at Eddie, clearly satisfied with what he was seeing. Eddie had to admit he was enjoying himself too.

Bev was right when she said Richie was cute. He had beautiful ice-blue eyes that could be mistaken for an ocean if you stared into them long enough. A sea of freckles where splashed about on his pallid skin, Eddie could see them hiding under his white dress shirt, with it’s two top buttons undone. A shiver run down Eddie’s spine as he thought about how he’d like to rip that shirt off and see just how many freckles Richie’s body had.

“Well, cutie, what brings a kid like you to a place like this?” He asked, and Eddie raised a brow.

“Kid?” He asked, and Richie nodded, his smirk widening.

“Yeah, sweet cheeks, you don’t look a year over 20. And may I say you’re terribly short for that age” _If only you knew_ , Eddie thought, frowning in displeasure, but couldn’t find himself to be hurt, too caught up in Richie’s charm.

“I’m to assume you’re older than that?” He asked, and Richie nodded, shortly walking closer to the petite man, making Eddie notice that _holy shit he’s that tall, isn’t he?_

“23” He answered. Eddie nodded.

“And your name is…” Eddie asked, though he already knew.

“Richie Tozier is the name and prostitution is my game” He said, winking, and stretched his hand out.

“Proud of your work, are you?” Eddie asked. “Eddie Kaspbrak, and I’m actually going to be 22 this fall, smartass” _plus a hundred years more,_ he thought bitterly as he cautiously took Richie’s hand and shook it.

“Eddie, huh?” Richie’s firm grasp on Eddie’s hand tightened and he pulled Eddie close to him, his other arm wrapping around the smaller boy’s waist. He leaned down, lips against Eddie’s ear, and whispered, “Tell me, Eds, what do you want me to do?”

Eddie felt goosebumps on his skin. His mind screamed at him to abort, _what are you doing, dumbass? He could hurt you! Your mother could find out! And she would hate you and you would have no one!_ , but he drowned his worries away, focusing on the boy before him. He’d come here to have fun, and he wasn’t about to leave early tonight. “I want you to make me feel good” He answered, and he turned his head to mimic Richie’s actions, mouth against the taller boy’s ear. “And that’s not my name” He added, nibbling Richie’s earlobe.

 

Both boys laid on the room’s comfortable red sofa, naked bodies pushed against each other. Richie’s fingers run through Eddie’s hair and back, soothing, while Eddie’s head hid in the crook of Richie’s neck, his breath tickling the taller boy’s skin. They had been like that for at last 20 minutes. Ben and Bev were probably already gone. Hell, the pub probably should’ve already closed.

“That was very nice, Eds” Richie whispered, turning his head slightly to look at the boy. “Did you like it?” The petite boy only nodded, humming against his skin. “That’s great”

It wasn’t by far the first time they did this. It had been going for the last 3 months. Each week, any day except Thursday,

_(Never come Thursdays, Eds)_

_(Why not?)_

_(Special someone comes over Thursdays)_

Eddie would go to the pub. And when the clock hit midnight, and Richie was supposed to go home, he got into Richie’s room. They didn’t always have sex, sometimes just choosing to talk or play around, but Eddie cherished those evenings.

That night had been different, though.

At around ten, while Eddie and Bev talked and drank, Ben joining them at some points at the other side of the bar, Eddie had suddenly felt two strong, warm, _familiar_ arms wrap around his middle. He felt the person’s face hidden in his neck, and smelled his scent in. _Strawberries, Marlboros, cologne, sex. Richie. RichieRichieRichie._ Eddie’s head was swimming. Richie had come out, looking for him. He turned to look at Beverly, only to see she had moved to the other side of the bar, to talk to Ben. She turned to hi and winked when their eyes met. Eddie smiled sheepishly and nodded.

He turned on the barstool to face Richie, who had a bashful look in his face as he pulled back from the brunette’s neck. “Hey Eds” He said sweetly.

“Hi Chee” Eddie replied, voice just as soft. “What’s up?” He asked, cupping the older man’s face.

Richie cleared his throat, clearly not used to doing this. “I uh, I saw you dance last night. God Eds, those moves… you looked so hot, had everyone drooling over you…” His voice deepened as he spoke, never over a whisper. Eddie found himself smirking, surprised he wasn’t a blushing mess.

“You wanna see me dance Rich? Want me to dance for you?” He asked, arms around Richie’s shoulders. The taller man shook his head, wild curls bouncing back and forth. He leaned into Eddie’s personal space and whispered against his skin, “I want to dance with you” And Eddie wasn’t one to complain.

The smaller man took Richie’s hand as he jumped off the bar stool, leading him to the dancefloor, where a few people stood dancing and gridding against each other. Eddie turned to Richie, eyes shining, and put his hands around the taller man’s neck. Richie’s eyes darkened as he put his own arms around Eddie’s waist, pulling him close. He pushed his face against Eddie’s hair, smelling his strawberry shampoo, and let the smaller man guide their moves.

Eddie moved his hips in a sensual way, occasionally dropping down or gridding against the man holding him tight. He felt Beverly’s gaze on him for a while, and a couple of bodies slamming against them every now and then in the seemingly small space, but his mind was set on his moves, eyes closed.

Eddie let a little squeal, his eyes opening, as Richie suddenly turned them around, Eddie’s back to his chest. Eddie felt a blush creep up his face as he felt a hard bulge press against his ass, two warm hands settling on his hips. Eddie let his head drop to Richie’s shoulder as the taller man hid his face on the brunette’s neck.

Eddie grinded into Richie’s cock, sighing, moaning softly when Richie pushed his erection back against the petite man’s ass. Eddie’s left hand reached up to tag Richie’s curls, his free one settling over the curly haired man’s where it laid on his waist. He grinded into Richie’s member once more, pulling the other man’s curls as he did, and Richie let out an inhuman growl.

Suddenly, Richie pulled away from the smaller man, who instantly felt the lack of heat. He intertwined his fingers with Eddie’s, hurriedly walking across the pub to the little room he did his magic in. “C’mon” He snarled in a low, hungry voice.

“Where are we going?” Eddie breathed, following the taller man. Richie turned to him, eyes dark and pupils wide.

“I’m going to fuck you”

Eddie felt like he could float that night.

He didn’t know it, but he felt loved.

Eddie would never admit the jealousy that crept up his stomach at Richie’s words about Thursdays.

_(Special someone comes over Thursdays)_

It’s not like he went out Thursdays, anyway. Thursdays were… _dangerous._ At least that’s what Eddie’s mother said.

_“Why can’t I go out Thursdays, Ma?”_

_“They’re very dangerous days, Eddie-Bear. They’re werewolf days”_

_“Werewolf days? But weren’t those full moon days?”_

Eddie remembered his mother shaking her head. There was something in her eyes, perhaps fear, maybe guilt.

_“No Eddie. Your father thought that. Remember what happened to daddy?”_

_“I can’t. Because no one knows what happened to him”_

_“Exactly, Eddie. But I’ll tell you something. Your father disappeared in a Thursday night”_

_“I know ma”_

_“Good, now give dear mommy a hug, and off to bed. Sun’s almost out”_

Eddie always shuddered at that memory. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that humans had no idea about the reality of the monsters they told tales about. But the idea that something as dangerous as a werewolf involuntarily changed to his monstrous form every week instead of month was so bizarre and unsettling Eddie had refused to believe it. That is… until he was told about the victims.

God bless Ben Hanscom. He, a simple human as any other, held so much knowledge in his curious mind, that he could have a fluid conversation with anyone about anything.

When Ben had first acknowledged Bev and Eddie’s nature, he’d done a little research project. He’d contacted his friend Mike Hanlon, a kid of Ben’s age that helped at the library, to help him find some books. Mike had quickly agreed. So, every night for a few weeks, the four of them read and read until they could no more, all snuggled up against each other under the blankets they set in Mike’s barn.

Hanlon never once questioned their interest on the subject, or why they chose to do it at such late hours. He simply went long with it. It hurt Eddie to think it most probably was because Mike felt lonely and longed for company, as his skin color came as bad news to most people in town, and few people actually wanted to hang out to him. Regardless, he never really revealed his and Bev’s secret.

Their research took an unexpected twist into the werewolf subject.

“My father says they’re real” Mike said one night. Ben’s eyes shot up to him, whether as Eddie and Bev’s gazes met. “He says they live among us. When he was at war, he had this diary- hold on a second”

Mike stood up, exiting the room. Clatter could be heard coming whatever room Mike was in, and not long later he came back with a worn out, blue leather notebook. He handed it to Beverly, who opened it and browsed through the pages. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, she stopped on one page.

“Here. Let’s see. It says: Friday 19th, April. We found another-

_victim this morning. Clark McGoones. He had his body- or what was left of it- full of scratches. Most of his body -joints, part of his torso, his left cheek- was missing. There were bites all over his body. The blood was long dried, so I suppose he died yesterday. Poor kid, he was only barely 21. Had a nice family, and a pretty girlfriend. I saw him writing letters to them in his free time._

_Presumably he was attacked by a wild animal, just like the last time. I don’t buy it. He was just one of the many victims._

_Eddie Corcoran_

_Dorsey Corcoran_

_Betty Ripsom_

_Patrick Hockstetter_

_Adrian Mellon_

_Peter Gordon_

_And there’s many more. All found the same way: Scratches all over their body, parts of their bodies ripped and bitten off. All found on Fridays. All died the day before._

_Most of my partners don’t believe in werewolves. Those who do deny my theory._

_“Werewolves only transform once a month, Willy. That night is the full moon night. Everybody knows that” Horton Broughty says to me one day._

_“I’ll tell you what, Horton” I tell him. “I say werewolves can transform whenever they feel like it. But they transform unwillingly every week. Every Thursday. And they attack all this poor privates”_

_Horton shakes his head. “Thursdays? Why so?”_

_“It all makes sense, Horton, just think about it” But Horton only laughs._

_“Ah say, Hanlon, you’re crazier than I first thought. There are a lot of wild hounds around this area. Probably hungry, is all. Those ‘poor privates’, as you put it, should’ve watched out and been fucking sleeping at midnight instead of roaming around in the forest”_

_But I know this ain’t just some hungry dogs’ making. There are werewolves out there, probably among us. I ought to get out of here. Butch Bowers calls me a pussy, but let’s see what he has to say about the subject when he’s the one found next Friday._

So, they really exist, huh?” Beverly finished, feigning surprise.

“Mhm. My dad says that they still live among us” Mike explained “even if they don’t find any victims anymore. That year was just some sort of cursed year. They were most likely suffering from hunger or something” He shrugged.

Eddie hugged his knees, thoughtful and scared. Was this really what had killed his father?

“Eds?” Eddie was shaken out of his thoughts by Richie, whose ice blue eyes bore into his own, concerned. “Are you okay?”

Eddie cleared his throat, nodding. “Yeah, I’m fine” Richie smiled warmly at him, and Eddie snuggled further into him.

Through these little visits, Eddie had gotten to know Richie, and appreciate him. Richie was a person who listened, and cared. He didn’t judge Eddie, whatever the smaller man told him. They shared mostly

_(you love him)_

anything. There was no risk, Eddie told himself, in telling Richie personal things about himself. Why would there be? Richie was a trustworthy person. And besides, if something where to happen, they had never seen each other outside the club, so there was no risk in

_(do I really?)_

running into each other.

So why didn’t he tell Richie his secret then? This had been going on for almost three months, they had shared so much, so why was he afraid? Perhaps because the kid would freak out and not want to talk to him again? Or maybe he would try and hurt Eddie? He himself had said it, the chances of meeting Richie

_(you’re afraid to admit it)_

in the outside world were slim, specially given his curfew. So, what was it all about? He feared losing Richie, Eddie knew. Even if they didn’t mean anything to the taller man, these nights meant everything to Eddie. He felt like he could tell any and everything to the raven-haired boy laying beside him, a feeling he hadn’t felt since Bill left him, even with Mike, Bev and Ben by his side. He had learned to love

_(it can’t be true)_

Richie deeply. Eddie didn’t know what that meant, but he was sure he couldn’t afford to lose him. Yet, every day that passed without telling him, Eddie felt like he was lying to Richie, and that wasn’t fair, was it? He deserved to know, if these little night meetings were to continue.

“You’re a little thoughtful tonight Eds” Richie commented. “Did I really leave you so flabbergasted?”

_(it is)_

He expected the younger man to scoff, maybe call him off for calling him Eds, but instead Eddie simply sighed.

“Do you trust me, Rich?” It came out as a whisper, and Richie would’ve missed it, if it weren’t for his… qualities. Instead, he heard it crystal clear. He sat up, taking the boy with him, and Eddie shifted on his lap, getting comfortable, and hid his face in Richie’s neck again. Richie rubbed soothing circles into his back, rocking them back and forth slightly.

“Course I do Eds, why wouldn’t I?” He asked.

“I… I’m not who you think I am, Rich. I’m not _what_ you think I am”

Richie was confused, but he knew better than to push the smaller boy. Eddie said things when he thought it was convenient. If he didn’t want to be specific, Richie wouldn’t ask. So, instead he said: “We all have secrets, Eds. That’s okay”

“It’s different” Eddie mumbled into Richie’s skin.

They sat like that for another five minutes, neither saying anything, until Eddie lifted his head. He looked at Richie with an expression the older boy knew all too much. Eddie’s eyes showed hunger, the type of hunger he looked at Richie with while they had sex. “Can I try something?”

Richie swallowed hardly, and nodded. Eddie smiled at him. “Don’t be scared” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you”

Richie felt Eddie’s mouth trailing down his neck, on his pulse point. Seconds later, two sharp fangs penetrated his skin. The pain was immediately replaced by pleasure. Richie saw stars, melting under the petite boy. It felt so good, so much better than the intimate things Eddie and he sometimes did. God, Richie could stay like this forever. But his senses awoke, and he immediately fell into realization.

Eddie wasn’t new in this area. He knew he could make people feel good with one simple bite, and, God, Richie tasted great. But he felt the boy under him try to push him away, gently at first, then with more force.

“Eds, Eddie wait” There was softness in Richie’s voice, but also panic. Eddie pulled away at the agitation in Richie’s voice, whipping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Did-did I hurt you?” Eddie asked, starting to panic.

“N-no. Eddie, you’re, you’re a-”

“Vampire, yeah” Eddie lowered his face. He felt Richie’s hands cupping his face, and he met the boy’s stare.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, voice a whisper, his thumbs caressing Eddie’s cheeks.

“I-I thought you’d hate me” Eddie sniffed, and Richie’s eyes softened.

“I would never hate you, Eds.” Richie looked around. “But you need to go, it’s dangerous here” He started gathering his clothes and putting them on, handing Eddie his.

“Richie wait-”

“Eddie” Richie turned to the boy. “You need to go, now” His voice was suddenly cold, and Eddie couldn’t do anything but obey.

So, he put his clothes on. He and Richie creeped through the silent pub until they reached the door. Eddie turned to Richie.

“Don’t come back here, Eddie. For your own good. You might get hurt” Water gathered in Eddie’s eyelids.

“I’m sorry, Rich” He whispered. He walked out to the raining night. He jumped and his body wrapped around himself, and Richie watched in awe as he turned into a bat. The little animal turned to face Richie one last time before flying away.

Two weeks of radio silence. Richie had waited every night, hoping Eddie would appear. He knew he had warned the petite boy not to come near the pub, but he just wanted to see the boy’s beautiful face. He wanted to touch him, and hear him giggle. He wanted to feel the pleasure he had felt that night.

He had tried to talk to Ben and Bev multiple times, but his coworker ignored him, sending him a disappointed look, whereas the feisty ginger simply slapped him the moment he tried to approach her.

It was Thursday now, and Richie sat on a bar stool in the pub. He didn’t work today. A boy with light, neatly styled, curly hair sat next to him. They both had a gin tonic in hand.

“So, you really screwed up this time, huh?” The boy asked.

“Shut up, Stanley” Richie hissed.

Stanley chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. He turned to Richie. “It’s your fault he’s not here”

“It’s dangerous here” Richie muttered.

“Yet you want him back” Stan countered. Richie rolled his eyes.

“No. At least not today. He’d be an idiot to come back on a Thursday” He told his friend. Stan shrugged, and they both took a sip. Stan cleared his throat.

“Does he know?” He asked.

“No”

Stanley rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell him. He’d understand”

“He’d freak out, that’s what he’d do” Richie shot back.

“Why? ‘Because he’s been having sex with a creature whose nature is that of the species born to terminate his? I think not. The kid sounds like a tough cookie” Richie shot Stan a glare.

“You’re impossible, Stanley” He growled. Stan shrugged, smirking.

“I’m not the one with trouble in paradise here” He answered.

Richie was about to give his friend a snarky response, when his breath caught in his throat, looking at familiar doe eyes that locked with his from across the room. “Rich?” Stan asked growing nervous.

Eddie knew he shouldn’t be out on a Thursday night. Of course he shouldn’t. Specially not to see Richie, who had his special appointment with his special person. He knew he was in danger the moment he sneaked out. The air was different that night. It felt suffocating. Eddie wanted nothing more than to go back home. But he had to talk to Richie. He had to prove him how special he was to Eddie, and that he wouldn’t hurt him.

He opened the door of the pub, immediately met with the sweaty smell and the bodies gridding against each other. He searched the room, and his eyes landed on the bar, where Richie sat talking to a nice looking boy with light curly hair, styled perfectly, compared to Richie’s wild curls. As if on instinct, Richie’s gaze shifted and he locked eyes with Eddie’s, his expression changing from an annoyed one to that of pure terror.

The boy jumped off the bar stool, pushing himself between bodies to get to Eddie, his friend following not far behind.

Richie quickly arrived, grabbing Eddie by the shoulders and shaking him slightly.

“Eddie what the hell-”

“Is this your special someone?” Eddie cut him off, nodding towards Stanley.

“What? No-” Richie started.

“Special someone? Isn’t that supposed to be you?” Stan asked Eddie, raising a brow. Eddie blushed.

“Guys can I just-” Richie’s voice was exasperated.

“I honestly don’t really know anymore” Eddie told Stan, who chuckled.

“WILL YOU LET ME SPEAK!” Richie shouted, catching everyone’s attention for a moment. Eventually the people returned to mind their own business. “Eddie, what the hell are you doing here? It’s werewolf night for God’s sake!” He whisper-shouted. Eddie crossed his arms.

“How do you know that?” He asked, narrowing his eyes.

“That’s not important! You need to leave, now!” Richie hissed.

“Any problem, Tozier?” A tall, bulky man with light brown hair styled in a mullet and hungry eyes approached them. Richie sighed.

“Everything’s fine. Fuck off, Henry” He growled. Henry chuckled.

“That’s not how you talk to your brother, Richie” He spat. Richie turned to look at him.

“You are _not_ my brother” He told the boy. Henry ignored him, turning to Eddie. He grabbed the petite man’s arm strongly, twisting it slightly. Eddie hissed in pain.

“Who’s this?” He leaned close, taking in the boy’s scent. “He smells very good… Is this your little treat for the night, Tozier?”

Eddie tried to wriggle out of Henry’s grip, only hurting himself more. Stan approached the pair, separating them with surprising force. “Leave the kid alone, Bowers” He said. He turned to Eddie and whispered “Run”

Eddie run out the door and into the street. He tried to transform, but his arm hurt too much. He would have to run. So he took off.

Eddie was fast, sure, but he wasn’t used to running, preferring to fly. Soon he was panting, struggling to breath, and his legs hurt. He looked behind him to see if he was being followed, and was met with a horrific sight.

Illuminated by the moonlight, a wolf of light brown fur run towards Eddie, gaining on him. There was something familiar about the creature, something human reflected in his eyes, and it took all of Eddie’s will to not scream. He begged for his legs to run faster, but he was exhausted, and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. His terror only raised when he turned to look behind him and saw two more wolves had appeared behind the first one. One of them had light fur while the other had dark one, hardly distinguishable in the night. Eddie was panting hard and he tripped twice, but he didn’t stop. The first wolf jumped towards him, scratching his thigh, and Eddie screamed in pain. One of the other two wolves, the one with the light fur, gained on the first one, jumping onto it. Eddie tripped and fell, bumping into a wall and hitting his head. He sat against the wall, hugging his injured leg, and watched the two wolves fight in horror. The third wolf approached him. “No, please, please don’t” Eddie muttered, tears falling down his cheeks. But as he looked into the wolf’s eyes, he found something familiar, like comfort and home.

Eddie was panting, trying his best to control his breathing and keep his eyes open. The wolf approached him carefully, whilst the other two wolves kept fighting. The dark-skinned animal nudged Eddie’s arm, and the boy exhaustedly put it around the animal. Slowly, and a bit painfully, Eddie managed to get on top of the animal, grasping his fur. Without warning, the wolf started running, leaving the other two behind. Eddie lost consciousness not long after.

When Eddie finally woke, hours later, he was laying on a bed that wasn’t his. He dimly remembered falling asleep hugging something soft, his whole body soaring. He lifted his head to look around and groaned at the pain that shot through his whole body, laying down again. He scanned all he could see with his eyes. The room was dark. It wasn’t too big, and it was completely clean. For what Eddie could make out in the dim light, every single corner was spotless. He noticed, though, how there were scratches on the walls, and he saw a few blood marks on the floor. Eddie swallowed hard, worried. By the way the ceiling was tilted, Eddie could guess he was in an attic. There was a little window on the wall opposite to were he lay, and even though the blinds were shut and the curtains were drawn, a few rays of sunshine escaped into the room, drawing little patterns on the sheets covering Eddie’s body. Eddie yawned and moved very carefully, as to avoid the light and getting hurt, and sat on the bed, letting his legs swing down the side of the bed. He stayed there for a few minutes, trying to ease the pain he felt, and then someone opened the door. Eddie held his breath for a moment, exhaling in relief when he saw Richie’s friend pop his head in the room. He was only wearing some shorts, his uncovered chest full of wounds and bruises.

“Oh good, you’re up” The man said, opening the door fully and walking towards Eddie, extending his hand for the smaller man to take, which he did, albeit hesitantly. Stan helped Eddie up. “I’m Stanley, by the way. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself correctly last night” He said, smiling sheepishly. Eddie nodded.

“Eddie. Where are we?” He asked, and Stan chuckled.

“This is my place. Sorry if it’s a bit… messy. I wasn’t expecting anyone” He explained, and Eddie nodded again, whispering an absentminded ‘s’okay’ as he looked yet again at the scratches and dried blood. _Werewolf,_ he thought to himself, memories from the night prior hitting him like a brick. _He did those. They’re there because he’s a werewolf._ Eddie suddenly felt his throat close. Before he could say anything, though, Stan was talking again. “Richie is downstairs” He said. “He… he wants to see you, check if you’re okay. He didn’t wanna wake you up. You should, uh, you should probably talk to him”

“Right” Eddie swallowed hard, and looked back at Stan. He scanned the man, taking his appearance in. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Stan looked down at his body, and chuckled. “Yeah, it’s- I’m fine. Should’ve seen the other guy” He joked, and Eddie laughed.

“Well, I’m- I’ll go see him now. Thanks Stan” Eddie smiled at him before slipping into the corridor. And even though Stan couldn’t pinpoint exactly _what_ Eddie was thanking him for, he smiled back, nonetheless.

Eddie slowly walked down the stairs, fingers trailing down the black wasted wood of the walls. He noticed all the rooms of the house were dark, and he felt thankful for the boys’ care. Outside, raindrops hit against the windows, making dull sounds that echoed through the otherwise silent house.

Though the building seemed old and abandoned, Eddie could tell Stan put much effort into keeping it clean and tidy, as far as possible.

As Eddie reached the end of the stairs, he could smell coffee, and he realized he was starving. So, he followed the smell and entered a room- the kitchen- lit only by a lamp on the corner. There, he found Richie, whose hair was sticking out in weird angles and was only wearing an old t-shirt, which used to be blue but had faded, and boxers. The boy- _werewolf_ , Eddie corrected in his head- was staring intently at his phone, brows slightly furrowed in concentration, tip of the tongue poking out from the corner of his mouth and wearing some ridiculous black coke bottle glasses. The image would have been comical in any other situation, but there was nothing funny about it now. The boy was so engrossed in whatever he was reading that he only raised his head when Eddie cleared his throat.

“Eds” The man was instantly on his feet, about to walk towards the petite boy, when Eddie talked.

“You’re a werewolf” He said, deadpan. His face was expressionless, if not a little amused, and it stopped Richie on his tracks. The taller man swallowed the lump in his throat, nodding.

“I- yeah, I’m sorry-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Eddie cut him off. Richie’s eyes widened more, if possible, and his hands twitched, longing to take Eddie in his arms and hug him.

“I-I don’t- I tried but…” As Eddie saw Richie crumble before him, trying his best not to cry, the vampire’s expression softened.

“Rich…” He sighed. Eddie took the other man’s hands and led him to the living room. They plopped down on the couch, and Eddie took his hands from Richie, resting one of them on the other man’s thigh and using the other to cup Richie’s chin, turning his head gently but determinately to look at him. “When… you found out I was a vampire. Why didn’t you tell me then?” He asked.

Richie’s eyes shot down and Eddie tugged at his chin, silently telling the werewolf to look at him. When Richie did, Eddie noticed his eyes were bloodshot, and tears were threatening to fall.

“You’d hate me” Richie sniffled. “You’d hate me, and I couldn’t bare to lose you” He tried to avoid Eddie’s stare, but the smaller man followed his eyes everywhere they went.

“So you decided to push me away?” Eddie’s question wasn’t accusatory, but Richie heard the hurt behind it.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t- I couldn’t risk hurting you” As Richie’s first tear fell, Eddie felt his heart drown. He sniffled, trying to hide his own tears. He swiped Richie’s tear away, and pulled the man towards him, hugging him in a deathly grip. Richie’s arms tentatively wrapped around his friend, hiding his face in the other man’s crook of the neck, and they cried together.

“Promise me” Eddie spoke after a few minutes of silence in which only their whimpers could be heard. “Promise me you’ll never try to leave me again. Please” His voice broke in the end, more tears falling.

Richie nodded against Eddie’s neck. “I promise. Goddamn it, Eds, I promise. I’m never leaving your side. It’s you and I for now on” He pulled away enough to look at the other man.

“Don’t call me Eds” Eddie sniffled, and smiled up at the curly haired man. Richie chuckled and shook his head.

“I’ll never stop” He told the petite boy. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to the vampire’s temple.

Eddie giggled, happy, and melted into the other man’s contact. “I should sleep a bit more” He told Richie in a hushed whisper, as if sharing a secret. Richie smirked.

“That’s great, cause I’m exhausted” Eddie looked up at Richie’s playful smirk, eyes a bit wide, and nodded.

Richie stood up, taking Eddie’s hand and pulling the shorter boy after him. They crossed the living room and walked up the stairs to the first floor. As they took the steps, Richie turned to look over his shoulder at Eddie, hands still intertwined. The vampire looked up at him with wide doe eyes, full of adoration, bloodshot and glassy from crying, two tracks of dried ears on each cheek, and Richie’s heart swooned. As he reached the top of the stairs, he stopped and turned to Eddie once more. The smaller man walked up the remaining two steps separating them, his arms going around Richie’s neck as the taller man sneaked his arms around Eddie’s waist.

They stood for another minute, just hugging, sharing some sort of silent understanding. Every now and then Richie pressed a kiss to the top of Eddie’s head, whereas Eddie’s lips would be pressed against his shoulder.

“If I tell you something, promise not to freak out?” Richie whispered into Eddie’s ear. Eddie nodded against his shoulder.

Minutes passed before Richie said what he wanted, but Eddie waited with patience, the silence between them comfortable. When Richie did talk, his voice was low and stained, and Eddie would’ve missed it if the raven-haired boy’s lips weren’t next to his ear. “I-I think I love you”

Eddie would’ve expected his eyes to grow wide, his heart to miss a beat, his breath to hitch. Instead, he was welcomed with a feeling like home- actual home, not the place he had lived trapped in since he was born. He slowly turned his head, raising it to press a gentle kiss to Richie’s lips, feeling the wet saltiness of newly shed tears. He looked up at Richie’s eyes with a warm gaze. “I know” He said against the other man’s lips. His hands travelled down Richie’s body to meet the taller man’s where they rested on Eddie’s hips. Richie took them and pulled them to a room nearby, where Stanley had him sleep when things were particularly shitty at his house.

The two men shed their clothes silently until they were left in underwear. They turned to each other, nothing but love and adoration in their eyes as they looked at each other. Still not saying anything, Richie lay on the bed, his arms open in offering, and Eddie climbed the bed, laying on top of the werewolf. Richie pulled the covers over them, and Eddie rested his hands on the other boy’s chest. Richie’s arms curled protectively around the petite boy.

Richie knew Eddie just wanted to rest, but he needed Eddie to know what had happened the day before. He needed to explain.

“Henry and I aren’t really family” He explained in a low voice. “My parents were both werewolves. When our neighbors found out, they all turned against us, attacking us everywhere we went. They even burnt our house down. One day, a man from a few blocks down came to our house with a gun and a few silver bullets” Richie took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Eddie listened intently, rubbing patterns against Richie’s skin. “He shot my mom in the head, and my father right through the chest. I watched it all. When he turned to shoot me, a man named Butch Bowers, the strongest werewolf I’ve ever known, barged into my house and killed the man. He took me under his wing, and I’ve worked for him and his stupid son Henry ever since. They’re the owners of the pub” Richie concluded his story. Silence ruled over them for a few seconds, then Richie’s voice echoed through the room. “I hate being a werewolf” And silence ensued.

Eddie had so many things to say. So many empty consolations that he meant but that he knew didn’t change anything. He settled on propping himself on his elbow, cupping Richie’s face and leaning down to brush their lips. “I love you, Chee” He told the werewolf, slotting their lips together in a sweet kiss. Richie hummed against Eddie’s lips, gripping his hips tight. Eddie parted from the kiss, leaning their foreheads together.

“I love you, Eds. So much, you don’t even know” Richie whispered. Eddie smiled and pecked his lips, laying back on the raven-haired man’s chest.

“Don’t call me that, Rich. Now, sleep”

When Richie woke up, the sun was setting. He felt two arms wrapped around his middle, warmth pressed against his back, and he smiled. The happiness faded when he felt a newspaper hitting his forehead again and again, Stan hollering at them. “GET UP YOU FUCKING LOVEBIRDS! GET UP, GET UP, GET UP” Eddie only groaned, burying his face further into the back of Richie’s neck, and Richie momentarily felt at peace. The peace vanished when he opened his eyes and was greeted with the view of an exasperated Stan, stare sharp as daggers.

“Bowers is here!” He whisper-shouted. Richie’s eyes opened widely, feeling suddenly more awake than he had been twenty seconds earlier. He sat up quickly, pushing Eddie off the bed in the process.

“Eddie, holy fuck, are you okay?” He asked the boy, taking his hand and pulling him up and close to him. Eddie nodded, climbing onto the bed and hugging Richie’s side, still sleepy. Richie turned to Stan. “How do you know?”

“I saw one of his goons, Belch, spying the house from behind a tree” Stan told him. Richie chuckled.

“Not very effective, huh?” He said, remembering Belch’s large shape. Stan hit him on the head with the newspaper again.

“Shut up, idiot. Victor is probably somewhere around, spying us too. And Henry can’t be very far. Thank God the blinds are down, or they would’ve spotted you two already” Stan sighed, rubbing his face, and Richie noticed he looked exhausted.

“Don’t worry, Stanny, we’ll figure something out” He told his friend, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, his other arm resting on Eddie’ waist. Said boy yawned, and turned to Stan.

“I know who can help” He said with a groggy voice. Both werewolves turned to stare at him.

“Well?” Stan said after a beat. “What are you waiting for?”

 

“Okay, no, Eddie, I’m not do- Eddie please stop and listen!” Eddie came to a halt, turning to stare at Mike. The sun was almost set, the last rays decorating the sky in a purplish color. Eddie rose an eyebrow at his friend.

“I don’t see the problem?” He dragged his words, feigning confusion and innocence. Mike sighed, covering his face with his hands and rubbing it. He turned back to look at his friend.

“Eddie. I love you, you’re one of my best friends and I’ll jump off a cliff for you, but this?” He asked, gesturing towards his car. “This is just too much”

Both men turned to look at the backseat of the car, where two big wolfs lay. One of them, mane as clear as hay, licked his paws delicately, while the other, with fur as dark as night, lay is head on his front paws, staring at the two boys with wide, attentive eyes. Eddie sighed, walking up to the car and sitting on the floor of the vehicle, petting the dark wolf, whose head snuggled into Eddie’s chest. Mike followed, sitting down by the car on the wooden floor.

“Look, Ed, I’m sure you have the most logical reason to put two werewolves in the backseat of my car and make me drive you to my farm and have the three of you over… actually, no, I don’t even believe that! This is insane, Eddie, insane!” The smaller man gave him an unimpressed look, still petting the wolf.

“Mike, this is Richie” He replied simply, and Mike gave him a confused look, not understanding why Eddie thought he would even care about the wolf’s name.

“Okay, well, nice name, but I don’t think- _wait_ ” Mike choked on air, positive that if he had been drinking something, he would’ve spit it all over the three occupying his car. “Richie _Richie_? As in _the_ Richie you used to hook up with every night and you were head over heels for?”

Eddie blushed, and the wolf turned his head to the man, something akin to a smug smile playing on his mouth. The wolf licked Eddie’s tan face, and Eddie giggled, whipping the spit off on the wolf’s mane. Instead of raising his head after, he simply turned it where it rested over the wolf’s, looking over at Mike with a small but fond smile. “Yeah, that Richie. And this” He motioned to the other wolf. “is Stan. They saved my life last night. And now they’re in danger. I am too.”

Mike swallowed. He thought it over. “How can I know we can trust them? How can I know they won’t hurt you? I mean, no offence Ed, but you’re tiny” Eddie raised a single, challenging brow. He stood up, Richie whining at the loss of his lover’s presence. In one swift motion, Eddie curled around himself, and Mike couldn’t stop his jaw from falling as Eddie turned into a bat, flying around his head for a few seconds before turning back.

“I think I’ll be fine” He told his friend, arms crossed. “Now can we please go?”

Mike stuttered over his words, trying to find his voice. “Suh-suh-sure, y-yeah, let’s go” He finally said, and Eddie thought back on his dear friend Bill. He wondered where he was right now, or if he was alive. Eddie shook his head, hugging Mike quickly and giving him a thankful smile before transforming back, hiding behind Richie’s paws. Richie nudged him carefully with his nose, a small comforting gesture.

Mike shook his head, closing the door and making sure the wolves wouldn’t be spotted from the outside before getting into the car, starting the engine and driving out of the garage and taking the road to his farm.

 

Henry Bowers followed the vehicle with his eyes, as mostly empty as it had been when it arrived no longer than half an hour before, save for the driver. He turned to the vampire next to him. “Victor, call Belch. We’re following that nigger’s car” Victor all but nodded, transforming into a bat and moving towards Belch’s hiding place.

 

It was nighttime when they arrived at Mike’s farm. Mike ushered the three men out of his car, and they quickly headed inside the house.

“I think you better call Bev and Ben, Mike” Eddie warned as he turned back into his human form. Mike stared at him for a moment, then nodded. Stan and Richie caught his eye as they transformed too, and he took a moment to stare at them before turning to walk towards the kitchen, where his phone was. Eddie called out to him, and Mike came to a halt. “Tell Beverly you know about me. She has something to tell you too” Mike sighed and nodded, without looking at his friend, and exited the room.

Stan turned to Richie and Eddie. “You’ll excuse me, I have to make a call” His eyes lingered on Eddie, a small smile on his lips, before he walked out of the room, leaving Richie and Eddie alone.

Eddie sighed as he sat on the sofa, head in his hands. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this” He whispered. Richie frowned, sitting next to the shorter man. He put an arm around Eddie, pulling him close, and kissed the crown of his head.

“S’ not your fault. None of this is, Eds, so please don’t blame yourself. Please” Eddie sighed into Richie’s neck, but nodded anyway, kissing the sensitive skin there. He came across a bruise he could identify as the bite he had given the werewolf a few weeks ago. It felt like it had happened ages ago, but he always got that feeling around Richie. The feeling that they’d known each other forever.

They stayed in the couch for longer than half an hour, enjoying each other’s presence. Stan came back into the room not long after, nodding towards them, and retreated to the kitchen to talk to Mike.

Eddie felt guilty for Mike. He’d been helping Beverly and Eddie for about a year now, loved them like siblings, and they had lied to him this whole time. They’d taken advantage of his loneliness. Surely Mike would hate them now. Eddie felt the urge to cry at that thought. Mike was truly an amazing person and the vampire didn’t want to lose him.

Richie must’ve noticed Eddie’s sallow state. His arms wrapped instinctively stronger around Eddie’s small frame. “Are you okay?” He whispered against his lover’s ear. Eddie raised his head, nodding, and placed a chaste kiss to Richie’s lips.

“M’fine” He mumbled.

The ring of the doorbell startled them apart. Faintly, Eddie heard Stan call “I’ll get it!” and he supposed Bev and Ben had arrived.

Which is why he choked on his own spit when neither came into the room; instead, in his tall, lanky, auburn haired glory, Bill Denbrough shone.

Hands on his hips, Bill smiled softly at Eddie, if a little apologetically, as he took a step towards the pair. He screamed home, and Eddie just wanted to run towards him, but he was so confused, and _scared_ , so he stayed frozen in Richie’s arms.

“Bill?” The werewolf asked. He turned to his best friend, and Stan just stared back. “Why’d you call him?” He asked, voice filled with confusion.

“Nice to see you too, Richie” Bill said, voice soft. He turned to Eddie then, addressing him for the first time. “Long time, Eddie”

The shorter man shook his head, and Richie looked at him confused. “You know him?” He asked the brunette, confused.

“Do you?” Eddie asked back, and Richie’s brows furrowed.

Stan talked then, walking away from the wall he was leaned against and towards the center of the room.

“It’s…there’s not much time to explain now. You can catch up when all of this is over. Right now, we’ve got more important matters to attend” He said, but Eddie shook his head.

“More important matters? More important than the fact that my former best friend has been a few minutes away from me for god knows how long and hasn’t had the decency to at least call me?” He shouted. Bill frowned, stung by Eddie’s words. Richie started to rub circles against the smaller man’s back, but Eddie pulled away, standing up. “Is that so, Stanley? You think that some bullshit werewolves are more important than that? Huh? Well, fuck you, then!”

“Eddie, let me exp-”

“No Bill, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t wanna hear another fucking word come from your mouth, EVER!” Eddie immediately regretted what he said, wincing.

“Eddie” Came Stan’s voice. Calm, cautious. “I know tis is all important to you, believe me, I do. But we need to come up with a plan, now, or else we might end up dead”

Eddie glowered at Stan, jaw shut tightly, and Mike was sure he was going to explode. But the vampire slowly exhaled, sitting beside Richie, who cautiously put an arm around him. Eddie melted into the touch, not meeting anyone’s gaze.

The doorbell rang. “That must be Bev and Ben” Mike spoke quietly, and walked to the entrance to let his friends in.

As the couple settled in the living room, Mike spoke again. “I-I’m not really sure if it’s my place to ask, but what the hell is going on?” He talked gently, with a warm voice. For a few seconds, no one answered. But then Eddie took a deep breath, exhaled, and started telling the tale, right from the very beginning.

 

“Okay now, careful, they’re still very hot” Ben warned as he handed the plate with the recently made silver bullets to Bill. The tall vampire nodded, taking the plate and putting it on the table next to him.

The seven of them stood in Mike’s workshop. They had been discussing how to take he Bower’s gang down and had come to the conclusion that silver bullets were the best option. They’d searched for silver objects around Mike’s house and had found an old set of cutleries that Ben said would do the trick.

Mike’s granddad had a few bullet molds, which they put the melted silver in, and minutes later they had five silver bullets in a plate.

Richie eyed the bullets warily, staying at a cautious distance from the table, and Eddie gripped his hand tightly. Bev and Mike started cleaning the tools they had used, and Ben sat down with Bill and Stan.

Eddie watched confusedly as Bill’s hand fell on Stan’s thigh, rubbing circles onto the denim fabric of Stan’s jeans. The werewolf had a small smile on his face, and the petite vampire reminded himself to ask Richie about it later.

The small man’s gaze turned to Mike, who was having small talk with Beverly. Even after all the secrets they kept from him came to the light, the farmer was still sticking by their side, helping them win a fight which wasn’t his.

Eddie sighed, squeezing Richie’s hand before letting go and joining his friends’ chatter.

Richie followed him with his eyes, smiling softly, and turned to look out the window. In the darkness of the night, he spotted a car’s headlights slowly approaching, the engine becoming louder.

He turned to his friends.

“They’re here”

 

Five guns, five bullets. Both vampires and humans ported one of each. Stan and Richie preferred to use their own methods. After all, neither was keen on coming close to the bullets.

The two groups faced each other, separated by a small sunflower field. No crickets chirped at this time of the night.

“You’re complicating yourself too much, brother” Henry spoke at last, flashing an evil grin. “It’s simple. You just have to hand the little mouse over and no one gets hurt.”

Richie shook his head. “In your dreams Bowers. Go back home before your daddy come’s looking for you. You know he doesn’t like you going about, searching for trouble” He said, taking a step forward.

Henry sneered, gritting his teeth. “Very well, you ungrateful asshole” He mumbled. “Belch!” He called. “You know what to do” Belch nodded, kneeling down and transforming.

“Take one step!” Beverly called. “Take one step, I dare you, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do”

Something flashed in the wolf’s eyes, something akin to fear, but he took a tentative step forward. Instantly, all guns were on him, ready to shoot should he advance.

“We don’t want to kill anyone” Ben warned. “But we will if we have to. Stand back Bowers, there’s no point. It’s three against seven, you know how this is bound to end.

Henry frowned deeply, turning to Belch. “What are you doing just standing there, you idiot? Attack!” Belch reacted after a beat, running towards the group. Seconds later, a gun fired. Belch dodged the bullet by millimeters.

“Shit” Ben cursed to himself. “I’m out” He stood back, Bill stepping in front of him as he took a rake that stood next to a haystack.

Belch advanced, not running anymore. He growled, walking towards Beverly, who chuckled.

“You’ve got the wrong target, puppy” She muttered.

“Belch, now!” Henry screamed, and Belch launched onto the female vampire. A gunshot echoed though the night, and Belch’s limp body fell, a bullet wound on the side of his head. Beverly turned to Eddie, who was putting his gun down, alarmed. “Why would you do that? I had him” She asked.

Eddie nodded solemnly. “I know you did, but you need to take care of Henry. You have the best aim around here”

The redhead sighed, shaking her head, and Eddie took a step behind Mike, taking an ax that Ben was handing him.

Henry’s face fell. “Silver bullets” He muttered. “You’re gonna regret that! Vic, you’re up”

The man looked at Henry for a solid five seconds before nodding, walking at a slow pace towards the group.

As he as approaching them, Mike fired his gun.

“Mike, no!” Eddie called out, a beat too late. The bullet hit Victor’s forehead, and he grinned at them. He brought a hand up to his forehead, pulling the bloody bullet out, and took a slingshot from his back pocket.

Bill swallowed audibly. “He’s a vampire” Ben broke into a sprint into the house. Mike stood back, throwing his gun to the floor. Victor placed the bullet on the pocket of the slingshot and aimed.

At Richie.

As Victor pulled the slingshot back and let go, Bill screamed at Richie to move, but the werewolf’s feet were stuck to the ground. The bullet flew through the night air, all eyes trailed on it.

It hit.

Richie’s eyes were trained to the ground, where Stan laid, a bleeding wound quickly staining his shirt.

“Stan!” Richie screamed, kneeling in front of his friend and pressing a hand to his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. He shook his friend’s body, desperate. But the werewolf was unresponsive.

Richie let out a growl, looking up at Victor. “I’m gonna kill you!” He screamed, jumping towards the vampire, his body transforming on the air. He was knocked onto his side by another werewolf. Henry’s front paws clutched onto Richie’s stomach, opening wounds, but Richie bit his legs, and they fought and bit and growled at each other. As everyone’s eyes were on the fight, they all missed Ben coming behind Victor, stabbing a wood stake on his back. The stake went through Victor’s heart, and the vampire fell to his knees, disintegrating.

Everyone watched the two werewolves’ moves intently, Beverly gripping her gun tightly. Henry had a clear advantage, with all the wounds on Richie’s stomach.

“Bev, you have to do something!” Eddie cried.

“I’m coming!” The girl shouted, looking at the wolves. She pointed with her gun at the wolves, and everyone closed their eyes as she took the shot.

Bill was the first to look, spotting the two wolves laying on the floor, bleeding. “What happened?” He asked. Everyone turned to look at the bodies. Eddie run to Richie, shaking him.

“Richie? Richie, I need you to stand up” The dark wolf shook, transforming into his human form. Slowly, shakily, _painfully_ , Richie managed to get to a sitting position. “Richie!” Eddie cried, hugging the tall man.

Richie hid his face into Eddie’s neck for a few seconds, then stood. He turned towards Stan’ limp body, sitting next to it. He cradled Stan’s face in his arms, crying into his hair. Slowly, the whole group embraced Richie, and they stood like that for a long time.

As the sun was starting to come out, Mike took them all inside to rest.

As Richie got into the bed he and Eddie were sharing, his lover pulled him closed. Eddie kissed him softly all over, and he sand to him, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

 

It was late. They all stood in a circle, the only light coming from the moon. In the middle, a hole dug in the ground was being filled with sand. Stan’s body lay underneath it all. As they all worked in filling the hole, each one holding a shovel, their voice filled the silence. They were singing. It wasn’t perfect, they couldn’t sing a single full sentence without having to stop to catch their breath, sniff of hiccup. The tears they were crying sometimes made them choke. But they sang, nonetheless. Their voices were mere whispers.

_And you know heroes aren’t meant to survive._

_So much harder to love when alive._

_Walk with the devil in your head,_

_you would think you were better off dead._

As they finished filling the hole, they all quieted down. Putting their shovels down, they all looked at the ground, and stood in silence for a few minutes. Then, Richie nodded, and they all turned and left.

 

It was later that day, while Bill looked at the spot in the ground where Stan lay, that Eddie approached him.

“Hey” He said; softly, cautiously.

Bill turned to him, sporting a small but genuine smile. There were tear tracks on his cheeks, and Eddie fought the urge to wipe them off. “Hi” He replied, before turning back to the window.

Eddie walked over to his side, looking at the sunflower field.

“Did you ever find what you were looking for?” The vampire asked with a small voice.

Bill’s smile turned sad. “Yeah, I did. Well, I had found someone” He sighed. “Not that it means much anymore”

“It wasn’t your fault” Eddie whispered.

“I know” Bill told him. “I guess I just can’t help but feeling so. The blame has to be on someone”

“Like Vic, for example?” Eddie asked, turning to his childhood friend.

“Yeah. Like Vic, I suppose” Bill looked at him. “I’m_”

“Don’t” Eddie cut him off. “You don’t have to apologize. I get it. You’re here now, that’s all that matters” Bill nodded, turning back to the window. Eddie leaned his head on the taller man’s shoulder.

Together, they stood looking at the ghost of a friend. A lover. A fighter.

To Eddie Kaspbrak, love was more than just a feeling. Love was all the nights cuddled up with Richie in bed. Love was silent conversations between Bill and himself. Love was deep care, in whatever way, to those around him. Love were Stan’s memories. Love had brought them all together.

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't kill me! I appreciate comments and kudos tho! Love y'all


End file.
